Airing Out the Options

There is a large selection of air-drying equipment available; which to choose depends greatly on the application.

by Kate Tomlinson, Associate Editor

NO MATTER WHAT you are printing, be it tags and labels, flexible packaging, folding cartons, or corrugated, a dry web is a basic essential. Drying technologies are plentiful, but choosing the right method for your application plays a crucial part in the end product’s success. Unfortunately, air-drying equipment comes with a bit of fine print. And as long as you can answer a couple quick questions (types of inks/coatings/adhesives and typical substrates), suppliers are more than willing to spell out the pros and cons of each type of machinery.